One of Koontz' best, entirely enjoyable.

I am an occasional Dean Koontz fan, I've read several of his books and have had mixed opinions about them. I like his novels that have a more serious tone, like this one does. Not a lot of "boy-meets-girl" crap and corny dialogue, as in some of his novels. This is just a very well-crafted story that moves very smoothly along, with suspense in all the right places. Classic Koontz. I'm very glad I got this one, it was a good use of a credit.
The narrator did an excellent job, too. It was the first time I'd heard him, and I was very impressed with his skill.

230 people found this helpful

What a great story!

I thought about it frequently afterwards. At times it was a roller coaster ride, frightening, intense, and I didn’t want to stop reading until I got through the current crisis. The main story is Laura’s life from birth to adulthood. A strange man appears at critical times in her life to save her from disaster. Laura is not a wimp. She does smart things. This is one of the few books where I don’t want to say much about the story. It is sooo much better not to know. There is suspense, danger, courage, clever things, and surprising things. The characters are rich.

I had two problems. The author used the artificial device of interrupting scenes. For example, there’s a scene in 1977 and another in 1988. The author split each of those scenes into about four parts and then went back and forth between the two showing pieces of each scene. The effect was interruption, and I was angry at the author which took me out of the story. This happened a few times during the book. There was such great “natural” suspense and action, the author didn’t need to use this device. I would have been ok with splitting the scenes into two parts each, to allow the two climaxes/resolutions to be told together, but no more than that.

Second problem was the narrator (Christopher Lane) using an effeminate gay guy’s voice for young girls. It was terrible acting - the wrong tone and voice for girls. Get a version with a different narrator (if ever available) otherwise read the physical book to eliminate that problem.

The strange man was able to do something a few times but not another time which bothered me. The explanation given was not consistent since it did not apply to all situations. But the story was so good I was willing to look past it. Again I can’t say more. I don’t want to give anything away.

The author does not used tired cliches. I was delighted to hear a character say “I’m a legend in my own scrapbook.”

Genre: time travel suspense thriller.
Ending: satisfying and complete.

29 people found this helpful

Very Enjoyable Read

This audiobook definitely passed my "5-star" test - I was always eager to get to my commute so I could continue with the story.

In many ways it is a very familiar Dean Koontz story: multiple storylines that converge toward the end; good people are really, really good; bad people are irredeemably evil; lots of humor; some mild horror-ish moments, etc.

It is true that any book that deals with time travel requires you to suspend belief - and this one is more implausible than most. However, once you get past that one plot device (it isn't hard, since the story is great) then you are in for a great ride.

There were some nice plot twists at the end that I did not see coming. The pacing was great, the story highly enjoyable, the characters interesting, and the narration terrific. If you want a fun story with action, character development, romance, and a bit of sci-fi, this one if for you.

143 people found this helpful

Great Koontz book

I've listened to about five of the Dean Koontz books here on Audible and this one was my favorite. I usually listen to books as I fall asleep, but this one kept me up wondering what was going to happen next. It's a shame that the description here is so vague, though it's hard to say more without giving away the plot turns that made this story so intriguing. I highly recommend.

65 people found this helpful

Ends with a whimper

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Lightning was an audio daily special for $2.95. Considering the price, Lightning was a nice listen (slightly below average). The first half of Lightning was a terrific thriller that keeps the listener guessing and constantly problem solving. Dean Koontz keeps the story progressing at a manageable pace. However, the story begins to bog down as the key protagonist enters adulthood. As a listener you just burn-out on the same type of repetitive action sequences. Others may like this fast paced and action orientated book. After completing 60% of the book, I found the characters under developed and superficial. If you are looking for a great Koontz book, try Intensity.

14 people found this helpful

One of my favorite Dean Koontz books

This is one my favorite Dean Koontz books - its merit comes from true mystery and suspense, rather than from the shock value of horror and supernatural events of his later works. Written in the later part of the 1980's, its content is still timely. I read it several times years ago and enjoyed my recent listen as much as I did my first read.

47 people found this helpful

My favorite Koontz

I've read all of the Odd Thomas books. Also, Velociy and The Good Guy. If you've read those and like them, get this one. My favorite of his so far.

36 people found this helpful

NOW we're talkin'

THIS is why I listen to Koontz - riveting, non-stop action. I will be thinking about these characters for a very long time. Absolutely one of the best Koontz I have heard since the Odd series. Worth every dime I paid.

41 people found this helpful

Tons of Twists and Turns

STORY - (Suspense) Like the Publisher's Summary says, there's lightning and a stranger. Is he a guardian angel, the devil in disguise or a master of time and space?

I don't know how I can write anything about this story without giving something away, so I will just comment that it is unusual and very good. I was expecting it to possibly be scary, but it isn't. There's sadness and violence, but there's also humor and love. This is my first Koontz novel, but it's not going to be my last.

PERFORMANCE - Good job with multiple voices and accents.

OVERALL - (Actual rating 4.5) Highly recommended for both guys and gals. Probably too much violence for young teenagers. Must be in the mood for some mystery with lots of action and suspense.

20 people found this helpful

Thumbs Up!

Brilliantly researched and executed. It's DK as only he can do. Narration was one of the best ever and had my attention from beginning to end.

34 people found this helpful